Misguided Mistrust
by AngelOcean
Summary: Spoilers from latest episode. Kate feels a little betrayed, a little hurt, Jack's still a little hurt, it's the never ending cycle where they all get hurt. Angsty, JATE, Skate, mild Jacket.


Kate took her seat by the fire. She stared out into the ocean. That endless ocean, and began to wish she was right in the middle of it, where no-one could see her and no-one could find her. Losing faith was something she wasn't used to, because she found it hard to gain faith in someone in the first place. But there was someone. Someone she trusted and had his back when things got really rough.

Someone who comforted her when things got too much.

Someone who she'd confide in and he'd confide in her.

But that was over when she slipped into Sawyers Cage.

Even more so when Jack returned with the Blonde that held a gun to her head.

Her eyes fixed on the embers spitting from the fire, each one carrying a distant memory she wished to forget. Not even the comfort of the southerner more outcast in than her could keep her satisfied tonight. Nothing could take away the guilt that she still trusted the man that seemed to have betrayed them all.

The man who was vastly approaching the fire where she sat. Gossip had clearly travelled, as the survivors who sat with her suddenly found jobs they needed to do, people they needed to see, each unsubtly averting their gaze from the cropped haired man.

'Hey.' He whispered to her, softly, as if afraid that she wouldn't reply. He wasn't far from the truth.

'What's up?' She replied, failing to meet his gaze, the fire more warm, more inviting.

'I need to talk to you.'

'Me? Wow and there's me thinking you didn't need to talk anymore. That you do things alone now.' She didn't mean the reply to be so snarky, but she needed it said.

'I thought you once told me you had my back.' He asked, almost hurt. She tried to silence the intuition to comfort him.

'I thought you once said 'Live Together, Die Alone.'

'I'm still here Kate.'

'Barely…' She whispered back, shifting uncomfortable under his gaze, his presence standing before her a little intimidating.

'Are you scared of me?'

'I'm not scared of anything Jack.'

'When we met… we ran from that… that monster, and you got Lost.' He paused running his hands over his head, taking a step closer. 'And you called out terrified…. You called out to me.'

This caught her attention. She caught his eyes and couldn't quite believe it.

'You heard that?'

'It was all I could think about.'

She tried her best, but a small smile did emerge from her lips. Visible for Jack to see and smile back at her.

'You lied to me.' He caught that with surprise, both at the blunt statement and the sudden change in subject. She had no desire for small talk this evening.

'Kate I didn't i…'

'I trusted you, I told you about Naomi and you lied to me.' Her voiced raised as she raised from the log turning straight to face the man before her.

'We were waiting…'

She shook her head and began to walk away from him, trailing across the empty, almost eerily silent beach. She felt a forceful grip on her arm as she was pulled back into close proximity with him, so close, noses touching, breaths mingling….

'I was trying to protect you.' He let the statement hang in the air, keeping his gaze on her's, it radiating care and an overwhelming emotion she couldn't place.

'I don't need protecting.' She replied, slowly removing the offending arm from her wrist, taking a little step back from him.

'If I told you… Juliet might have had to, examine you Kate because when…' He faltered, and Kate realised this issue was a long time coming.

'Because we slept together.' A curious look fell upon his face, and she felt obliged to look down. 'Me and Sawyer.'

'How do you….'

'Juliet told me.' She looked back to him, trying her best to show her unease and regret. 'The monitors…' She took a deep breath. 'I could be pregnant right?'

He nodded and said nothing. An awkward silence fell on them both, the waves breathing in and out the only sound emitting from the camp.

'Why do you trust her?'

'Because she is one of us.' He reasoned with such conviction, not that long ago, she probably would have explored his point.

'But she's not Jack..' she paused, trying to articulate this without Jack taking it to heart. 'she's one of them. She will always be one of them.'

'Then if that's how you feel. I guess we can't settle the situation Kate.'

She took her seat once more, her eyes settling back on the fire.

'I guess not.'

She saw out of the corner of her eye, a small sad look of resignation as he began to edge away from her. Just as she thought he was about to leave, he turned back, a look in his eyes, she was afraid to look back to him. Afraid of the disappointment, the betrayal from the one person she couldn't deal with it from.

'Just so you know…' She braced herself for the retort. 'I'll always have your back Kate.'

Her eyes widened in surprise and she turned back to reply, only to be greeted with the air that Jack had once occupied.

She hoisted herself up and made her way to one particular tent she was growing more accustomed to day by day. As she opened the flimsy, sands doors, she looked down to the man with his head buried in a book. It took him a little while to realise her presence, but once he did, he threw the book aside, no care for what page he was on.

'Late night visit again Freckles? Are we going to make this a regular appointment?' He smirked to her; and all she could reply with was her emotions pouring out into a lustful but meaningless kiss.


End file.
